Health System Specialist

The incumbent serves as an analyst to Business Operations under the Associate Director line. The primary purpose is to provide analytical support for the Medical Center. This position works in the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System Data Analytics Group which performs duties directly contributing to the administrative management of an integrated health care delivery system that require the ability to apply the specialized principles and practices of health care management.

Qualifications:

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/30/2026.

Time-In-Grade Requirement GS-11: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.

Time-In-Grade Requirement GS-12: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.

INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT: The Health System Specialist position requires an Individual Occupation Requirement that will need to be met. Your resume will be reviewed regarding the Individual Occupational requirement, and it will be reviewed, to ensure that the Individual Occupational Requirement is met. Please understand that the Individual Occupational Requirement is required in addition to the required Specialized Experience.

Undergraduate and Graduate Education:

Major study -- hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration.

OR,

Specialized Experience: (for positions above GS-5): Progressively responsible analytical or administrative, or clinical management or supervisory experience in the health care field. This work may have been performed in an operating health care facility or a higher organizational echelon with advisory or directional authority over such facilities. Work must have involved a close working relationship with facility managers and analysis and/or coordination of administrative, clinical, or other service activities, and provided knowledge of the following:

• Missions, organizations, programs, and requirements of health care delivery systems;
• Regulations and standards of various regulatory and credentialing groups; and
• Government-wide, agency, and facility systems and requirements in various administrative areas such as budget, personnel, and procurement.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE/EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: - Applicants must also have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that are typically in or related to the position to be filled.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

• Specialized Experience GS-11: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically defined as; Having a high degree of analytical ability and specialized knowledge related to health care management. Experience analyzing, planning, and professional and public relations. Experience reviewing materials and monitoring services regarding compliance with standards of internal and external accrediting agencies. Analyzing data, identifying trends and issues of concern for executive leadership. Identifying possible discrepancies within processes and data and making recommendations for initiating process improvements or solutions to potential issues. Monitoring changes in clinical and administrative data systems and advising investigators and management staff to revise data extraction and analysis methods as needed. Developing background and management options available to deal with complex facility planning and implementation issues. Experience ensuring that proposals/initiatives submitted for approval are complete and all implementation requirements are accurately identified. Ensures integration of all planning initiatives in terms of phasing and monitoring implementation of programs. Recommending action or adjustments necessary to achieve required objectives.

OR,

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR, 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree OR, LL.M., if related.

OR,

• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related.

Specialized Experience GS-12: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically defined as; Expert level knowledge of health care service administration, continuous quality improvement; data analysis; healthcare principles, and theories and practices. Knowledge of missions, organizations, programs, and requirements of health care delivery systems in general and in the country at large. Expert knowledge of a wide qualitative and/or quantitative methods for the assessment and improvement of program effectiveness or the improvement of program effectiveness or the improvement of complex management processes and systems. Requires comprehensive knowledge of the range of administrative laws, policies, regulations, and precedents applicable to the administration of one or more important public programs. This includes knowledge of agency program goals and objectives, the sequence and timing of key program events and milestones, and methods of evaluating the worth of program accomplishments. Work requires knowledge of relationships with other programs and key administrative support functions within the employing agency or in other agencies. Ability to analyze problems and present both written and oral recommendations taking into full consideration the wide range of factors and requirements which affect the management of health care delivery systems.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE: Candidate that possess 3 years of SQL, Pyramid Analytics, VSSC & Power BI experience or education in Data Analytics.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Responsibilities:

Duties associated with this position include, but are not limited to the following:

• A high degree of analytical ability and specialized knowledge related to the management of a Health Care Delivery System, as well as required knowledge, abilities and skills relating to analyzing, planning, and professional and public relations.
• Maintains program requirements and criteria for assigned organizations.
• Reviews reports involving trend analysis and ensures follow-up in these areas for conformity.
• Reviews materials and monitors services with regard too compliance with the standards of internal and external accrediting agencies.
• Analyzes data, identifies trends and issues of concern and alerts superior of those areas where possible discrepancies exist with recommendations for initiating intervention.
• Monitors data in order to make recommendations that address customer concerns while not compromising the quality of health care provided.
• Recommends action or adjustment necessary to achieve required objectives.
• Provides input into the design of projects, the structure of information management systems, and recommends appropriate methodologies, including applicable statistical analysis, for planned activities that will result in new or improved process solutions.
• Monitors changes in clinical and administrative data systems in VA and advise investigators and management staff to revise data extraction and analysis methods as needed.
• Develops background and management options available to deal with complex facility planning and implementation issues.
• Ensures that proposals/initiatives submitted for facility approval are complete and all implementation requirements are accurately identified.
• Ensures integration of all planning initiatives in terms of phasing and monitoring implementation of programs
• Conducts analytical studies on particular operational processes, compiles final reports, including comprehensive analyses; notes discrepancies and planned initiatives for effecting remedial actions.
• Establishes process controls to ensure recommendations and actions are completed as approved.
• Monitors action items within the organization and ensures appropriate progress to remedy problems and ensure risk management.
• Responsible for obtaining timely actions responses or decision on requests within and to the facility and ensures they are consistent with the VHA Salt Lake City Health Care System policy.
• Analyzes to ensure effective reporting and internal evaluation of programs that comprise the Network healthcare delivery system.
• Evaluates work in short and long-range planning efforts. Compiles with directives and Network policy and guidance in preparing annual and cyclic documents.
• Responsible for providing support to the VHA Salt Lake City Health Care System in planning, organizing, coordinating, implementing, directing, integrating, controlling and evaluating the healthcare delivery system.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office applications, KLF, VA File Manager, Microsoft SQL server and statistical software (e.g., SAS, SPSS) is essential.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday; 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Telework: This position may be authorized for telework on an Ad-Hoc basis.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist/PD13305A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized.
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.

Salary : $74,678